Southwest Chimney

We tried to trundle some of the stuff in the chimney but it’s a mess for the first half of the route so be careful.

Pitch 1 is short and climbs a handcrack on the left side of the large chimney to a sandy sloping ledge with loose rocks scattered about. 5.5

Pitch 2 consists of loose and sandy scrambling up easier blocky terrain for 100ft or so until you get to cleaner rock at the top of the chimney. Rope or no rope, use your best judgement. Class 3

Pitch 3 head towards your left up easy ledges to a nice lieback up to a narrow ledge with a clean chimney on its west end. 5.4

Pitch 4 squeeze up the chimney and then head up the narrow ridge behind you over awesome exposure to a wild move up a flake to the tiny summit! 5.6

First rap station is about 10ft below the summit on the southeast side and will get you back down to the loose and sandy class 3 section. One more short rap from a station on the east wall of the large chimney will get you down past the pitch 1 handcrack. Be careful with what you choose to rappel vs downclimb as one party in our group almost completely severed their rope on the sharp rocks on this descent. 

Approach either via Blacksmith Creek drainage climbing the steep permanent snow in the Northwest Colouir and wrapping around to the southwest or climb directly up the loose rocky south slopes from big Slide Canyon.

Alpine rack, ice axe & crampons if approaching from the north.